But now the combustible issue ofBarack Obama's racial identity has been thrust squarely into the heated political battle of the 2008 race. Obama Wednesday warned voters thatJohn McCainor his allies would try to "scare" them with his race, and McCain campaign manager Rick Davis responded furiously on Thursday, accusing Obama of playing the race card.

Obama’s aim, in the view of the McCain camp: "to delegitimize any line ofattack against him," said McCain aideSteve Schmidt. He said he saw that potential trap being sprung when Obama predicted in Missouri Wednesday that theGOPnominee would attack the Democrat because he "doesn't look like all those otherpresidents on the dollar bills."

"‘The most negative, abhorrent, nasty, vicious comment made in this racewas the insinuation by Barack Obama that John McCain was going to run a racistcampaign,’ Steve Schmidt, McCain's chief strategist, said in an interview. ‘TheMcCain campaign will not stand for it. There is no evidence of it. It's nottrue, and we will rebut it.’

I am thoroughly disappointed in the Obama campaign for playing the race card, which he clearly did. I have previously written in this space that while I do not agree with Obama's political views and will not support him, I admired the fact that his campaign has not attempted to manipulate "white guilt" in a Jesse Jacksonesque fashion. It made me think we were moving on to something new where this kind of talk wasn't going to be a part of our political dialogue. Apparently, I spoke and wrote too soon. Barack Obama plans to play the race card and manipulate white guilt-he'll just wait to do so until he thinks it benefits him.

Let's get something straight: Anytime race is THE topic du jour in the campaign,it's a bad day for Obama. Period. There are a lot of voters out there who don'twant to have their vote judged through the prism of race. (If somehow a swingvoter in Ohio, Pennsylvania or Michigan is made to feel that voting againstObama will make them a racist, they'll be resentful.) While today's papers arefilled with "who played the race card first?" allegations between the twocampaigns, know this fact: The Obama campaign doesn't want the race issue tobecome an overarching theme of the campaign.

It is shameful that Barack Obama would use race as leverage, especially when the swing voters he needs may turn tail and run on him if they think Obama is in any way saying that they won't vote for him because they are racists.

However, it is just plain sad that Barack Obama's disgusting sudden willingness to use his race as an issue will result in political advantage for John McCain.

David,Obama didn't play the race card." McCain's people simply accused him of doing it. Obama said back in June (~6 weeks ago) that McCain, GOP, RNC, whatever ... would try to scare people; that he was too inexperienced, that he had a funny name, "oh, and did you know he's black." McCain and his people are loosing and desperate so they trot this garbage out knowing that the "liberal MSM" will pick up on it.McCina's ads have been stupid and fear mongering in nature and Obama simply pointed that out. When all your selling is stupidity and fear you can not allow anyone to point it out lest your attacks are rendered impotent.Keep in mind this is John McCain. Stupidity and fear are all he has and he's all you got.

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About Me

I'm a freelance political and sports writer, and former sports radio talk co-host. I am currently an Aspirant to the Permanent Diaconate of the Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee.